17:1 Better a dry morsel and quiet Wisdom Literature commonly promotes contentment and peace over material wealth. See note on Prov 15:16.

feasts of The Hebrew word used here refers to animal sacrifices. In the ancient Near East, sacrifices were understood as occasions for fellowship between people and their gods or between the people offering the sacrifice. Such sacrifices required a certain amount of wealth. The idea of this proverb seems to be that it is better to have a life of poverty than a life of lavish wealth that involves conflict.

17:3 Yahweh will test hearts Throughout the ot, testing is often compared to refining precious metals (Mal 3:3; compare Psa 11:5 and note).

17:5 insults him who made him Mocking the impoverished is an offense to God, who is the creator of both the mocker and the person being mocked (compare 1 Sam 2:7; Deut 8:17–18; Prov 14:31 and note).

17:7 a fool The Hebrew term used here is the same word used for the godless person in Psa 14:1 (see note on Prov 1:7).

The Fool in Proverbs

17:8 is a stone of magic The Hebrew phrase used here, literally rendered as “stone of favor,” does not occur elsewhere in the ot. It probably refers to a stone that was supposed to bring fortune, like a good luck charm.

17:9 He who forgives The Hebrew word used here, which signifies covering or forgiving, implies that love can overcome a past wrongdoing and bridge an estranged relationship. See note on 10:12.

17:11 will seek only rebellion The evil person never has good motives and will eventually be punished.

17:12 a she-bear robbed of offspring Illustrates the destructive nature of fools: it is better to meet a mother bear without her cubs than a fool. An encounter of this type would likely result in death (compare 2 Kgs 2:23–25). Elsewhere, this image describes an angry and destructive force (2 Sam 17:8; Hos 13:8).

17:15 He who justifies the wicked The author of Ecclesiastes also laments this kind of injustice (compare Eccl 8:14 and note).

17:16 where there is no sense Wisdom cannot be purchased (Job 28:15–19); it is obtained through discipline and the fear of Yahweh (Prov 1:28–33).

17:17 a brother The poetic parallelism of friend with brother indicates that the brother here is not necessarily a family member. It describes a close friend—one who stands with his friend through times of trouble.

Parallelism in Hebrew Poetry Table

adversity The Hebrew word used here can indicate adversity, distress (as in Gen 35:3), or trouble (as in Psa 142:2).

17:18 pledges This phrase refers to foolishly assuming responsibility for someone else’s debt (see Prov 6:1 and note).

17:21 He who begets a fool, there is trouble for him Wise children make their parents proud, and fools bring them shame. See note on 10:1; compare 15:20; 23:15.

17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine Proverbs often speaks of the benefits of a happy frame of mind. Joy is encouraged, while anxiety and discouragement only weigh a person down (12:25; 15:13, 15; 18:14).

17:24 He who understands sets his face toward wisdom Wisdom is close at hand, and the discerning person will find it because the discerning person is receptive to it.

the end of the earth The fool will never gain wisdom because the fool looks for the wrong things (compare Job 28; Deut 30:11–14).

17:27 He who spares his sayings knows knowledge Restraint of speech is a characteristic of the wise. See note on Prov 10:19; compare 15:1, 18; 14:29.

Wisdom and Related Terms

a cool spirit In contrast to a hot-tempered person, an even-tempered person is self-controlled and slow to anger (compare 15:18).